Hormones 101

Hey, friend! Happy Friday! What are you plans for the weekend? Hopefully something fun. I have a confession… I may or may not have added the Christmas music station to my shuffle on Pandora. Too soon? meh. I was thinking about Christmas music and holiday season the other day, and Christmas must just makes me so happy that I wanted to listen to it now. I figured adding it to the shuffle mix would not be as intense, and it sitll makes me happy, so I win. What random things make you happy?

I’m hosting a live Facebook video at the end of the month about hormone disruptors, but I thought I’d share some info here as well. If you want to check out my “virtual class” on August 27, go here to RSVP.

What are hormones?

We’ve all blamed hormones for those monthly cravings and mood swings, but what are they really? A hormone is a chemical “messenger” made in our endocrine glands. They control functions like reproduction, stress, sleep, hunger, mood, and so much more.

What are hormone disruptors?

Hormone disruptors are chemicals we absorb and/or ingest that can mimic, block, or decrease our natural hormone function. They’re commonly found in personal care and household products. Prolonged exposure to hormone disruptors can cause or aggravate a variety of health issues including depression/mood disorders, reproductive issues, neurological and developmental issues, and cancer and more that we may not even know about yet.

How do we avoid hormone disruptors?

We just check the ingredient labels for “hormone imposters”, right? I wish. Ingredients aren’t always what we think they are, and not all harmful ingredients look harmful when they’re sitting there in a long list of indiscernible words. Here’s a few common ingredients to get you started:

Phthalates and parabens are commonly mentioned as ingredients to avoid for good reason. They’re both hormone disruptors that can be found in a lot of products like shampoos, soaps, and perfumes.

Oxybenzone is in the lime light recently for being banned in Hawaii. If diluted amounts in the ocean are bleaching the coral reef, imagine what it could be doing to our bodies.

Formaldehyde – is used as a preservative in shampoos, body wash, and bubble bath. It can be present when other ingredients like quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3 diol (Bronopol), and several other preservatives are listed.

Fragrance – did you know that a brand’s fragrance formulas are considered a trade secret? The term fragrance on your label can include over 3,000 ingredients, many of which can be harmful (phthalates are included in this list), and it’s completely unregulated because companies are not required to disclose their fragrance formulas. Be careful to use brands you trust when it comes to scented products. If they can’t give a specific source for what you’re smelling, I’d put it back on the shelf. There are brands out there that are transparent and ethical in their production, and if you’re looking for a cleaner perfume check out PHLUR – they don’t use any allergens or harmful preservatives and they’re very transparent in their ingredients and sourcing. Click the link I provided and you can $10 off! 🙂

Once you learn about product/ingredient safety, it’s hard to “un-know” it. You have this new information swimming around in your head, but what do you do? Throw away all your products and use coconut oil for everything? Honestly, you could if you’re into that sort of thing. 😉

Another option is to start doing your own research to find brands you trust. I recommend checking our your products and their ingredients on ewg.org/skindeep. The Environmental Working Group is a third party that reviews products and ingredients for safety. They have a great database to help you determine if the products you use every day are safe. The lower the ranking on EWG, the better. I personally prefer to stay below a 3 for products I use regularly, but as long as you’re making educated choices, do what’s right for you.

I also recommend Beautycounter because they’re transparency and quality are amazing. Ingredient safety/education is my passion, but Beautycounter is my platform. Being a consultant gives me the tools/resources I need to educate people I love (and the people they love, and so on) about safer products, and provide a solution to help them clean up their cabinets. So if you’re interested in trying out Beautycounter products, I’d be honored to be your consultant (if you don’t have one already). I’m also happy to answer questions if you need help choosing products.

I’m always looking for passionate women to join my Beautycounter team to make a difference while also making money. If you think being a consultant is right for you, send me a message so we can chat. ❤